Alan writes in from the University of Illinois about his experiences with
automatic teller machines and why talking atm's are needed. Incidentally,
the Urbana-Champaign campus from where Alan hails is the home of the
National Center for Supercomputing Applications, one of a handful of top
level research labs on computer networking in the world. We clearly have
the technology to make atm's accessible to the blind. There just needs to
be a little push to make it happen.
The address to send in comments is [log in to unmask]
kelly
Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 22:18:40 -0500
From: Alan Tu <[log in to unmask]>
I took your advice right away and wrote a comment to the Access Board.
Subject: ATM access comment
To the Access Board:
This comment is regarding access to automated teller machines for blind
people. I am a blind university student. I read Braille. And I am not
confident in using an ATM.
I was informed today that your board was open to comments on this issue.
Coincidentally, this week-end I ran out of money. I know where an ATM is at
the university student center. I thought about using it. I had my bank card
and all. But the ATM had very little accessibility. There was no voice
output, and not even all the buttons had Braille. The instructions were not
in Braille. So to use the ATM, I would have to ask someone for help. Someone
I did not know. I would need to enter my PIN number. I would need to enter
the amount to withdraw. Would my personal information be displayed on the
screen? Would this person try to take my card or somehow take advantage of
me? decided not to use the ATM.
I believe we need to answer this question. Are blind people such as myself
entitled to the same comfort and convenience of an ATM? Of course we are.
Then the next question is how the banking industry can reasonably make ATMs
accessible, and will this burden the banking industry?
What will make ATMs accessible for me? Keep in mind that I need to know what
the buttons on the machine do. Keep in mind I cannot see the screen. So
these are the two challenges. The first part, although seemingly simple, is
challenging. I have learned that some buttons change functions as you
progress through the transaction. So perhaps the buttons can be identified
by their characteristic: label them by color or shape. Or even label them by
number: "Button A, Button B". The second and more difficult challenge is the
screen. The most cost effective way I think is speech. A set of earphones,
perhaps, for privacy.
So the scenario that will satisfy the vast majority of people is this: near
the ATM there are instructions in Braille that tell blind people how to
engage the accessible interface. Then the ATM guides the person through the
transaction with speech. It doesn't need to be complicated. All we ask is
that the ATMs are usable.
Imagine that you need money, but that you cannot see the screen. Even if you
are an ATM user, I don't think you can tell me that you can go through a
whole transaction with your eyes closed. And even if, as some blind people
have done, memorized the interface to their favorite ATM, this doesn't work
all the time. Many ATMs are different, and the blind person would need to
have faith that the ATM is ready and at the same point to start the
transaction. In short, blind people are entitled to use ATMs as functionally
as everyone else. The solutions are available right now. And the more ATMs
are upgraded, the lower the cost per unit. I urge the Access Board to adopt
reasonable and common sense access guidelines for ATMs. Don't let the
banking industry scare you. They would rather ignore blind people because we
are a minority. That is why all blind people, an particular, need your help.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Alan Tu
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